Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

Amazing ice cream, good location, great service. This is a really nice ice cream shop in the Harvard square area. The shop has a very roomy outlay and designed well to provide space to customers waiting in line and those sitting and enjoying their ice cream inside the shop. They have a very large variety of ice cream flavors, and they provide free tasting. The prices are decent as they provide good value for money, however would highly recommend getting two scoops instead of one since the price difference is only one dollar and the quantity is double. The staff are super nice and friendly, who serve with a smile despite dealing with a large crowd. They have both freshly baked Waffle Cones & Cups. They also have pre packed large containers of ice creams. Definitely the spot to get Ice Cream while in the area.

Van Leeuwen is the perfect spot to cool down on a sunny hot day in Harvard Square! We tried the pistachio, strawberry, and an affogato, and each one was absolutely delightful. The ice cream is rich, creamy, and soft with flavors that taste fresh and natural—not overly sweet. The affogato was especially a treat, perfectly balancing espresso with the smooth vanilla base. One of the best parts is that they make the cones fresh right in front of you, adding that warm, crispy touch that pairs perfectly with the ice cream. The shop itself has a bright and welcoming vibe, making it a great place to stop whether you’re strolling through Harvard Square or looking for a dessert after dinner. Parking can be a challenge in this area, but if you’re walking or taking the T, it’s very convenient. Despite the parking hassle, this spot is absolutely worth a visit. I totally recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy high-quality, flavorful ice cream with a little something extra.

Ordered the Black cherry chip ice cream and the pistachio. The server was really kind in letting my sister and I try a few flavors including the blueberry jelly donut, strawberry yuzu cheesecake which were phenomenal too. Lovely for a hot summer’s day!

A great spot to enjoy ice cream during the summer near Harvard! They offer a wide variety of flavors—and even free samples. The staff were super friendly, and there’s a cozy space where you can relax and chat with friends while enjoying your ice cream.

Very average ice cream, quite a let down. Some people recommended I try out Van Leeuwen on my quest to find the best ice cream in Boston. I knew they were a chain but seeing as I had been pleasantly surprised by JP Licks, I figured it was worth a shot. The staff were nice and let me try a few samples, though it was a bit weird it as seemed to make a conscious effort to make the samples as small as possible, barely filling a quarter of the tiny sample spoon. All flavours were too sweet in my opinion. The texture of the ice cream is nice, but that’s about it. I ended up picking the honeycomb, but it was, like the other flavours I tried, too sweet, and without any piece of honeycomb which was quite disappointing. Overall would skip Van Leeuwen. There are far better options for ice cream in Boston, especially around the Cambridge area.

Fun flavors, free sample, and perfect texture, what’s not to love? I shared a scoop of honeycomb with my wife and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Spacious, though could use more seating. Was no wait on a warm Friday afternoon which was surprising given the quality. I suppose there are lots of ice cream options on Harvard Sq. We will be returning to this one though.

It’s an overall great experience! I got the summer sweet potato and marshmallow fluff flavor, and it was one of the best ice creams I’ve ever had. The atmosphere is upbeat and welcoming, with cool spray paint art and ice cream related quotes (my favorite: “Heavy cream is kale for the soul”). In addition, the staff is always friendly and helpful, letting you sample whatever you want. The flavor selection is the most diverse of any ice cream shop I’ve ever been in. I would highly recommend you go here if you’re looking for a sweet treat in Harvard Square.

I had a wonderful time here with my family. We came here for dessert after dinner near Harvard Square. The ice cream cream was delicious, and the service was excellent. The staff were courteous, and they let us taste multiple flavors before making our selections. We ordered chocolate, white raspberry, praline butter cake, chocolate fudge brownie, and a couple of waffle cones. The only issue is that the atmosphere is a bit hectic and that the restaurant could use better seating.

tl;dr probably the best large chain ice cream shop. Lots of unique flavors, friendly staff and cute pink interior. While Toscanini's will always be my #1 Boston ice cream shop, Van Leeuwen is still a great alternative especially for a larger chain. Staff there was super patient letting us try multiple different flavors before locking down on our choice. We were also trying to find the mango sticky rice flavor. Manager even texted his other store to try to scope out the flavor for us!

Fairly decent large chain ice cream shop, a lot of unique flavors in my opinion. I tried the Earl Gray Tea and the Berry Cheesecake scoop, felt a little sweet but I think it was very good still. The shop gets really busy and the service get a little slows, but still they do their best to get the orders out. The shop itself is a pretty cozy place to hangout in when it's not busy though, when it is, it might be better to just go outside and chill.

I was so excited to finally visit Van Leeuwen in person since I usually just buy their pints at Whole Foods, I didn't even realize they had a real scoop shop! It was fun to try some flavors I haven't had before, though I do wish more of their flavors were available by the scoop instead of just in pints. I went with the Mint Chocolate Chip, and it was absolutely delicious. I especially loved the chocolate, rich and high quality. The scoop was a little spendy at almost $8, but honestly the quality makes it worth it. Plus, the staff was super kind, which made the visit even better. The vibe of the shop was super cute and pink!

I went to Van Leeuwen Ice Cream in Harvard Square and it was so delicious!!! When you walk in, the place is super bright and pink. There's a good amount of seating too, so it's a nice place with friends. You line up by the display where all the flavors are, and they let you try multiple samples if you want which was very helpful in deciding one flavor. I tried the Earl Grey, Pistachio, and Mango Sticky Rice & all of them were so good. But I ended up going with the Brown Sugar Cookie Dough. The brown sugar flavor was just the right amount of sweet, and the cookie dough added the best texture. It had swirls of chocolatey flavor that made it even better. The staff were super friendly and excited to help,.We sat and enjoyed our ice cream there, and overall, it was just a great experience. It ended up being like $7-8, and around $9 with tip, I'd definitely go again

Yummy ice cream with classic and fun flavors alike! Definitely try some of their seasonal flavors.

This was my first time here and their hot fudge is so thick and rich. I loved it. The staff was really nice and let us try different flavors as well so I'm definitely getting the mango sorbet next time it was divine.

I had to come and get a few scoops. Rich and creamy and surprisingly not overly sweet. The blueberry jelly donut sold me. I need a container of that. What I ordered: * 2 scoop - Blueberry Jelly Donut and Coffee Affogato * Vanilla Bean on a Sugar Cone Since there are so many locations, it is highly possible I can be hitting many of these locations this summer.

Good ice cream with interesting flavors kwe had cream and raspberries which was good, and banana bread that was too sweet). Or local creameries, such as New City, Christina's, Honey Comb, and Toscanini are still better IMO

The Harvard square location is super cute and colorful inside. It can get busy on a nice warm day but the staff is quick and the line moves fast. There is only about 4 tables inside so usually it's easier to eat outside. Luckily there is a lot of outdoor seating in Harvard. They have really great flavor ice creams and I really enjoyed the black cherry chip. It is on the more expensive side at around $8 for a scoop but it is worth it!

Friendly staff, got to try multiple flavors before placing our order. Got the berry cheesecake and Jasmine passion fruit

I got their pints delivered through Uber eats. One of the most disgusting icecreams I have ever had in my life. So overly sweet that it is inedible. I love icecream to the point that I will eat and try almost any random flavor of icecream but this was so horrible that I couldn't eat more than one spoon. Dont buy it. Dont try it. Dont waste your money. Dont eat calories when its this bad.

We visited when there was an event in the square right outside the store, so the inside was packed, but we were able to get to the counter in less than 10 minutes. We sampled a few flavors before deciding to get the cookies and cream caramel and fudge brownie flavors as well as the pistachio sundae. Everything we got tasted great! Although it was quite busy, we still managed to get seats inside. If you write a Google review you can get a voucher for a free scoop!

Incredibly disappointed that the six vegan flavors were reduced to two. The two flavors available are ones you can buy in the grocery store. I brought two non vegan friends and they found good options. Wish this location would advertise what they are out of. The digital sign, which is easy to change, did not notate any flavors that were "out".

Great addition to the ice cream scene at Harvard Square. The ice cream itself is not super sweet which is a pleasant surprise! The brown sugar cookie dough is really good as well as the earl grey. Service is friendly, but they did not know their menu well enough to discuss potential allergens. Be warned that this location accepts ONLY accepts credit card. If you have cash, there is a kiosk to switch the money onto a plastic card.

I got the pot of gold shake and it was so good! The store is clean and the workers were friendly. Also, the ice cream is high quality.

Great ice cream great staff. Had the sour cherry it was awesome! A lot of other flavors available

Big selection of flavors! All the samples we tried were delicious. My family all enjoyed it :) Service was friendly and nice.

Great ice cream, great team, and lots of great flavors. Highly recommend trying something new. Even their milkshake is good

So many diff flavors and all are high quality. They have a great waffle cone too! Super cute interior and lots of room to sit. And open til midnight!!!!

Tried Earl grey and blue jasmine! Delicious! Good customer service. She allowed me to try multiple flavors

Mediocre. Haegen Dazs. You need to consume a bucket with 2000 calories just to have more than one flavor.

A very clean facility! There were only two workers doing their best during a wave of customers. They were very friendly and patient even when other customers were being rude towards them. I enjoyed the ice cream I tried as well as the scoop that I bought!

Alana is the best!!! She was amazing and patient and kind! Loved how clean this location was and the music was amazing!

Good quality flavor, really creamy, doesn't taste artificial. I got the three scoops, and it was HUGE! Makes up for the price.

Very good ice cream and good service! I enjoy coming here often. My favorite scoop is the chocolate!

Vegan ice cream that doesn't suck! You have to be into flavors with a lot of words, though. Can't report on the fudge since it was tragically out of stock. Server was kind and gave me tastes and the few stools that are in the place are comfy enough.